A man who claimed he had won a whopping £171million EuroMillions jackpot was reportedly lying to his friends and family while tapping them up for money.
Rob Strain, 33, from Newcastle, allegedly told those close to him that his numbers came out in the September 23 jackpot draw, and even boasted about it in his local shop.
The out-of-work roofer even sent around photographs of him viewing mansions, cars, said he was going into hiding and even that he was seeking private security, The Sun reported.
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People on his housing estate allegedly began to grow suspicious, however, when he and his girlfriend started to borrow money.
A family source reportedly told The Sun: “Some people have fallen for his story and given him money, but most of us know he’s deluded and that it’s all lies and he’s on the take.
“He’s been to view three mansions, including one for £3.9million. He said it wasn’t his cup of tea and had to think on it. Pull the other one! He also bragged about shopping for Bentleys."
The unnamed source said that Strain's story began to unravel when it became clear that he tried to hire a caravan to "hide out".
“But when we heard he was asking a woman in the shop if he could hire her caravan for two weeks to hide out, we knew it was a scam. What lottery winner does that?” they continued.
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One man said he felt "physically sick" for "being bent over a barrel" by Strain, because he loaned him money.
"I thought I was giving them a helping hand," he told The Sun.
Camelot said Strain’s story was “fishy” as winners can get a cash advance once a ticket is validated.
A spokesman said: “It’s highly unusual to behave this way. Most people would just sit in shock and start planning their future, rather than shout it from the rooftops.”
Strain recently made a complaint about the DWP Universal Credit system as he was unable to access much needed funds owed to him.
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